Network Security Challenges in implementing the Remote Access Solution

 

According to a recent survey by Kelton Research, “Breach in Network Security” topped the list of concerns for CTO 's, with 73% of the CTO 's surveyed mentioning that they were worried about network security breaches when supporting mobile workers..

 

Overview:

Remote access has moved into the mainstream. Enterpries and SMB's are now addressing the security issues surrounding decentralized workforces. No longer is it just a question of a few road warriors dialing into the corporate network - the majority of employees now require access to key company systems, exchange work-related messages and documents via e-mail from home or abroad.

Today, remote computing devices, be they laptops or smart phones, are commonly left in an always-on, always-connected mode, leveraging high-speed DSL, cable modems and other connections.

Office employees and indiscriminate hackers are the biggest source of security attacks rated as disruptive to the business. Yankee Group (2006)

 

The Challenge: Network Security Breaches

In 2007, Symantec detected 711,912 new threats compared to 125,243 in 2006 – an increase of 468 percent; this brings the total number of malicious code threats detected by Symantec to 1,122,311 as of the end of 2007. ( Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR), Volume XIII ).

The challenge of Network Security Management is now an issue that organizations need to monitor at the user level, as the web is now the primary conduit of attack activity - as opposed to network attacks.

ROAM's Business Drivers: - Secure Identity And Access Management Solution - Provide Anytime/ Anywhere Secure Remote Access - Auditing and Reporting Tools - Fully Managed Service - Maximum Flexibility and Scalability

Mobile devices can increasingly be infected simply by users visiting everyday Web sites. These mobile devices are often the weakest points in IT security. Although extensive information assurance safeguards may be in place to prevent network breaches, there is no protection against misplaced or stolen devices. Considering the ubiquity of mobility, it is becoming all too clear that security standards of care are often not sufficient, and few organizations know where or how to begin to protect the integrity of their infrastructure. Ultimately, as we move into the future, the mobile workforce will contribute in making an organization's IT perimeter fuzzy and difficult to control.

 

The Solution:

AnyWare Group (AWG) offers organizations, of any size, a Platform-as-a-Service solution that provides a highly secure gateway to the corporate network, thereby addressing the issue of network security breaches through mobile devices. Using AWG's ROAM platform, employees gain direct, SSL VPN encrypted access to the corporate network from any location at any time. ROAM meets strict compliance mandates through its auditing capabilities, reporting all activity through its gateway.

ROAM EndPoint Security for mobile users:

ROAM provides the ability to scan ports in a user's computer before they log-on to ROAM. By scanning the ports on a user's computer before logging-on to ROAM, it can be identified if the user's computer has a firewall running or determine if the user's PC could compromise the security of the organization's network.

Contact a Remote Access Specialist : Get your questions answered by a ROAM Engineer: By Phone: 1.888.894.7793 By Email: info@anywaregroup.com

A Port Scanner is a piece of software that determines what ports are open on a particular system. It allows ROAM to determine if users are running software that could create a security risk to the system.

A list of commonly used “hacker” ports are checked to ensure users are not vulnerable, thereby reducing the risk of a hacker penetrating a user's PC and then, through its systems beyond ROAM. If ROAM detects a potential issue with open ports, a warning message will be displayed to inform the user about the potential threat. The systems can be configured to then give a message and block the user from logging on to the system if the open port is found to be a critical port. If the open port is deemed a non-critical port, ROAM can simply give the user a message, log the issue and allow the user to log-on the system.

ROAM addressing Virus Protection:

ROAM minimizes the possibility of local PC viruses from infecting ROAM, and the systems behind it, due to the fact that ROAM routes communication securely via “localhost” rather than through the usual communication ports that a PC normally uses to communicate. The vast majority of viruses look at the typical communications ports to scan for connected systems. Secondly ROAM uses obscure ports for communications. Even if these ports are detected, most viruses will have no logic to exploit them.

ROAM restricting hackers from accessing End Devices:

ROAM provides the additional levels of security needed to restrict hackers from accessing the end device.

•  Organizations that use ROAM can use multi-part, or two factor, authentication such as SecureID card where an additional continuously changing code must be entered along with the password for user authentication.

•  ROAM can be set to generate a security pop-up window when it detects a user trying to access a remote system. This notification will let the user know if something or someone other than themselves may be trying to access their systems.

•  An additional password may be generated so that a ROAM user has to provide a different password than their original authentication password to access a remote system.

AnyWare Group is now providing more than 100 organizations throughout North America with mobile solutions through the ROAM Platform. To Learn more about how ROAM's remote access solution can secure your network and address your organization's needs, contact sales at 1.888.894.7793 or email at sales@anywaregroup.com.

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